Measuring-rule.



, H. E. LEE.

.ff MEASURING RULE. d (Application med Apr. 5, 1901,l

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 26, |90! l l l l UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. LEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEASURING-RULE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 687,432, dated November 26, 1901. Application led April 5,1901. Serial No. 54,415. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Measuring-Rules, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to improvements in measuringrules of the type or class commonly called carpenters rules or pocketrulesg7 and itconsists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a folding rule the members or pieces of which shall be connected together by means of hinges which will lie iush with the face and edge surfaces of the members when they are extended or in alinement, thus presenting straight and in effect, unbroken edges or surfaces.

Another object is to join. the members or pieces of the rule together in such a manner that they will be iirmly and almost rigidly held in the desired positions, yet maybe readily folded together into a compact form. i A further object is to furnish a rule with hinges for its members or pieces which shall be of such construction that when the members are placed at right angles to one another or in parallelism the surfaces of the members and hinge-blocks will form rectangular figures. Y

`Still another Objectis to provide a lockinghinge for the members of the rule which are connected, thereby so as toV be brought together at their edges.

Other objects and advantages will be disclosed in the subjoined statement.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and 'use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an enlarged View in elevation of a portion of a rule embodying my invention, showin-g the front or face surface thereof.

' o FiO. 2 is a similar view of a ortion of the inner members of the rule, showing the construction ofthe hinge therefor. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the inner members and a part of the hinge therefor. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the bolts used in the hinge of the inner members. Fig. 5 is a side View showing a portion of one of the inner members and an outer member hinged thereto. Fig. 6 is a View of the opposite side of said parts. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the hinge-block used in connecting the outer member to one ot' the inner members. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the pintles of the hinge used for connecting one of the outer members to one of the inner ones. v

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the diiferent views of the drawings.

The rule comprises two inner members or pieces A and A', which fold together at their edges, and outer pieces B, one only of which is shown and which fold together or toward the inner members at their face or rear surfaces. These pieces may be made of wood or other suitable material and are usually graduated to show inches and fractions of inches, but may be provided with a scale of other standards of measure. The inner ends of the pieces A and A are curved, as at a, (see Fig. 2 of'the drawings,) to permit of the movement of the hinge-block C, which is rectangular in outlines and is provided with two circular openings c for the reception and operation of the disks D and D', each of which" is provided with pins d, projecting on each side of said disks, and which pins are located in suitable openings in the plates ct', secured to the sides of the inner portions of the members A and A', as is clearly shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 of the drawings. The adjacent ends of the plates a' are rounded at one of their corners in order to permit of their pivotalV movement. The hinge-block C, which I will term the edge hinge-block, for the reason the pieces A and A' are hinged edgewise thereby, is provided near each 'of its ends with an elongated recess b, which communicate with IOO openings c, and have angular terminals b', in which the ends of the bolts d' will rest. Each of the disks D and Dl is provided with a radial slot d2, in which the bolts d are located. The outer end of each of said bolts is slightly beveled to cause it to move out of or from the angular recesses b in the block C, and the opposite end of each bolt is preferably provided with an opening d3, in which is located a spiral spring d4, one end of which rests against the end of the slot d2 in each of the disks.

. The outer ends of the pieces A and A are; slightly curved, as at a2, and are provided on their edges with plates a3, which extend somewhat beyond said portions and have near their free ends openings to receive the ends e and e of one of the pinlles E of the hinge-block E,.which I will term the surface hingeblock, for the reason the pieces B which are connected thereby-to the outer ends of the inner pieces of the rule fold surfacewise. The edges ofthe inner ends of the pieces B have secured thereon plates b2, which project beyond the inner ends of said pieces and are provided with openings to receive the ends e and e of the pintles for said pieces. The surface hinge-block E is provided with two openings 62, extending therethrough, which openings are cylindrical throughout most of their length, but at one end of the block are enlarged to Iorm quadrantal recesses e3, as is clearly shown in Figs.. 5 and 7 of the drawings. The pintles E and E2 are each provided with a longitudinal slot-e4 for the reception of a bow-spring e5, which rests against the inner surfaces of the cylindrical openings e'zin ihe block E and retards the movement of the pintles by reason of their tension and frictional contact. The ends of the spring e5 project into recesses e3 of the block E', thus restricting the movements of the pieces A and B to a quarter of a circle each. The ends e of each of the pintles are flattened to correspond with similarly-shaped openings in the plates with which they engage, so that said pintles will turn therewith.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen and clearly understood that by forcing the piece A from the' position shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings toward the piece A the disk D will be caused to turn, thus withdrawing the bolt d' thereof from its recess b', in which operation the bolt will be retracted by impingement with the wall of the slot or recess b until it reaches the other angular recess b', when said bolt will be projected thereinto, thus locking the pieces together. If it is desired to change the position of the pieces A and A from that of a right angle to a straight line, the piece A may be moved from the piece A, when the disk D will be caused to turn and the operation above described repeated. To fold the pieces B to the pieces A and A', it is only necessary to force said pieces so that their survand one that will faces will meet, in which operation the pintles will turn in their respective yopenings in the surface hinge-block until the springs e5 strike the ends of the qnadrantal recesses, when the movement of one or both of said pieces will be checked.

It is apparent that by employing the construction shown in Figs'. 2 and 3 ofthe drawings a locking-hinge is afforded and that the pieces A and A will be held in the desired position with rmness and in such a manner that they will not accidentally fold together. The construction of the surface hinge, or that shown in Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, also affords an almost rigid connection for the pieces B and the inner pieces of the rule prevent accidental folding together of the pieces.

It is further apparent that a rule constructed according to my invention will present smooth surfaces and rectangular joints. One of the plates a on the inner ends of the pieces A and A may be provided With a scale f and the other one may be furnished with an indicator g, to be used for obtaining the desired angle when it is desired to use the rule for mitering purposes or for attaining angles other than right angles.

It will be observed that the two kinds of hinges above described and illustrated in the drawings involve the same principle and that the pintles are simply elongations of the disks, the recesses b and ediffer onlyin shape, and that springs only are used in the pintles, While spring pressed bolts are employed in the disks.

It is further apparent that by constructing the rule as above set forth it can be used as a square, by means of which angles of any desired degree may be attained.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claimas new,.and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A measuring-rule, comprising the inner members or pieces, the edge hinge-block having circular openings provided with recesses and located between the adjacent ends of said members, the recessed disks located in the circular openings of the block, the spring-actuated bolts in said recesses, means rigidly connecting the said members to the disks and a member or piece hinged surfacewise to the outer end of each of the' inner members, substantially as described.

2. In a measuring-rule, the combination of two members or pieces, with a hinge-block 1ocated between their adjacentends and having circular openings provided with recesses, recessed pieces rotatably located in the openings of the said blocks and rigidlyconnected to the ends of the said members, and means located in the recesses of the rotatable pieces to extend into the recesses of the circular openings of the block, substantially as described. :f

IOO

IIO

3. In a measuring-rule, the combination of the disks, and means rigidly connecting the two members or pieces, with a hinge-block losaid members and disks, substantially as decated between their adjacent ends and havscribed. ing circular openings provided with recesses HARRY E. LEE. 5 having angular terminals, Ithe recessed disks Witnesses:

located in the circular openings of the block, CEAS. C. TILLMAN, ihe spring-actuated bolts in said recesses of A. GUSTAFSON. 

